Locomotive buffer-beam.



PATENTED JULY 14,- 1908.

C. T. WESTLAKE. -LOGOMOTIVE BUFFER BEAM.

APPLIGATION FILED MAR. 2, 19,08.

'narran srnrns Pern-Nr (1I-IA BLISS T. WESTLAKE, OF S'l. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR IO DAVIS LOCOMOTIVE WHEL COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, CORPORATION, DELWARE.

LocoMoTIvEvBUFFER-BEAM.

i To all whomlt may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES T. WEST- LAKE, a citizen of the United States,.residing at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented 'a new and usefulImprovement in p Locomotive Buffer-Beams, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates to a metallic bufferbeam or end sill for a locomotive or car underframe, and is in the nature'- of a modification of the buffer-beam described in the Letters Patent of -the UnitedStates granted to, combined with other features of noveltyy hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying 'drawing forming part ofthis specification, whereon, Figure 1, is a top plan view of a preferable form of rmy improved buffer-beam; Fig. 2, a

j vertical transverse section thereof on line 2, 2, in Fig. 1; Figs. 3'and 4, views corresponding to Figs. 1 andl 2 respectively, and Fig. 5, a view corresponding to Fig. 1, show'- ing constructive modifications of the beam.

Like letters and numerals ofreference -denote like parts in all the figures.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, a re resentsv my improved buffer-beam or end sil whichis referably com osed of cast steel integra throughout, 'tile body thereof, or beam proper, being preferably, I-sha ed in cross section, having when assemble its flanged members 1 and 2 vertically arranged, the rear member 1 being .ada the ends of the loneitudmal beams b of the engine frame (or sills ofthe car frame as the case may be) to which the buer-beam a is fixed -in the present case, .by bolts 3 passed horizontally and transversely through .the

beams b, and through brackets 4 and 4 which face of the rear member 1 bear respectively, inner upright faces of the longitudinal beams and are adapted to l Specification of Letters Patent.

-Application filed March 2, 1908. Serial No. 418,907.

' t, the outer brackets 4 being ted to bear against proj ectat right angles from the outer' site to the end of the said beam against the outer and Patented July 14, 1908.

riveted to the rear member 1, and the inner brackets 4 integral with the latter and united to each other by a horizontal rib or web 5 which projects-rearwardly from the member 1 and forms a brace to the beams a and b thereat. The opposite or front mem ber 2 ofthe buffer-beam a is preferably parallel to the rear member 1 for a suitable distance on each side of the middle of the beam a', or longitudinal center of the engine or cary frame (in the present case to the extent of .the distance between the outer upright faces thence inof the longitudinal'beamsfr). an( clined toward and unitedwith each end of therrear member 1, wherethe-beam a is formed refer'ably with an inside and outside push po e pocket or concavity 6.

cerros. y

preferably 'Through the horizontal web 7 which unites the rear and front members 1 and 2 together, are formed openings 8, .8', 8, the openings S being separated from each other at the middleof the beam a by a portion of the web 7 'which is intersected at right angles by a rib 9 coinciding with the longitudinal. center of the frameand uniting With the rear and front i members 1 and 2, to which, with the sa'id portion ofthe Web 7, it forms a middle interme?` diate straight strut c'. Similarly, each opening 8' is separated from its adjacent o ening 8` by an inclined portion of the web 7 w lich is intersected at right angles by arib 10, uniting With the r'ear member 1, preferably, at

the junction thereof with the middle strut c,

and' With the front member 2, preferably, o

, OP' posite to the end of the corresponding strut d diverging from the rear member 1 to the front member 2 of the beam'a. Further- .Web 7 Which is intersected at right angles by va rib `11 coinciding with the longitudinal center of the corresponding longitudinal n itudinal beam b, and thereby forms with t ie vsaid inclined portion of the web 7 a diagonal beam b, the rib 11 uniting with the rear member 1, and With the front member 2, preferably at the junction lthereof with the diagonal strut d, and thereby forming with the last named portion of the web 7 a straight intermediate strut to the members 1 and 2 op o- Z and para lel to the middle strut c. By the above construction the buifmg stress on the front member 2 of the beam a is transmitted by compression through the middle strut c to its junction-with the .diagonal struts d, thence by tension through the latter to their junction with the side struts e, and thence by compression through the struts e directly to the end portions of the l .longitudinal beams t) of the framein alineto better advantage for obtaining the maxiribs similar to the ribs 9, 10, and '11, with or I mum resistance of the beam a with the least amount of material. l/Vhen pulling on the beam a the reverse effect is produced, the stress being transmitted by tension through the strut c, thence, by compression through the diagonal struts d, and thence by tension through the struts e and rear brackets 4 and 4 to the bolts 3 and end'portions of the longitudinal beams l).

In the modiiication shown in Figs. 3 and 4V the buffer-beam a in lieu of being I-shaped as before described, is box-shaped in cross section having its top member solid throughout, and its lower member, which in the present case is lush, but may be above the bottom of the beam a, formed with openings therethrough corresponding to the openings 8, 8, 8, and having their separating portions of metal and the' reinforcing ribs thereof, adapted to form compression and tension struts or-members arranged in ia similar manner and on the same principle as the struts c, ii, and e, in Figs. 1 and 2. Or if desired the top member may be formed with intersecting without openings corresponding to the open-- ings S, 8, and S.

ln. the modification shown in Fig. 5 the rear member l ol the beam e, in lieu el' being straight for its entire length, is termed with a rectangular otl'set l which extends rearward along and between the longitudinal beams l) ot the frame at, the lateral per tions of the ollset l. whieh correspond to the inner brackets Il/ before described, being adapted to bear against the inner l'aees oll the beams Z) to which, and te the outer braeliets 4, they are lixed by bolts in the same manner as in Figs. l and 2, the struts e and e. in this construction being eorrespondingly extended rearni'ard from the front member l to their junction with the otl'set il as shown.

`YVhat l claim as my invention and ldesire to secure by Letters Patent ist# A butler-beam for a lot-emotive tingine or car underframe, comprising a rear member adapted to bear against and to be fixed to the longitudinal beams ot the said frame, a t'ront member opposite to and spaced apart from the rear member a strut unilin r the said members together in alinement with the said longitudinal beams' and the longitudinal eenter of the said frame respectively, and diagonal struts, one on each side of the said center, uniting the said members together at the junction therewith, or thereabout, of the iii-st named struts, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specilication in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES T. WESTLAKE- Witnesses:

Y H. C. BELLVILLE,

EDWARD W. FURRELL. 

